Love Blooms on Campus: WashU Students Find Lifelong Partners

From long-distance to living together, these engaged and married Wash U students share their unique college love stories.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 6:33am

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An abstract, impressionistic photograph of college students strolling and sitting together on a campus, their figures blurred in a warm, soft wash of light and color.Intimate campus moments capture the joy and commitment of WashU's engaged and married students.Hammond Today

While college is often seen as a time for exploration and independence, some WashU students have chosen to take the leap into marriage and engagement during their undergraduate years. This article profiles three students - Ha-Ya Davis-Bennett, Brooke Sanchez, and Abagale Berger - who have found their life partners on campus, navigating the joys and challenges of committed relationships alongside their studies.

Why it matters

These stories challenge the notion that college is solely a time for singledom, showcasing how some students are choosing to build lifelong partnerships during their formative university years. Their experiences provide insight into the dynamics and considerations of being married or engaged as an undergraduate, offering a unique perspective on the college experience.

The details

Ha-Ya Davis-Bennett met her husband Spencer while working at a Raising Cane's restaurant in Louisiana, and they legally married before she started at WashU, though they had a larger ceremony a year later. Brooke Sanchez and her fiance met in a class at WashU and quickly moved in together, solidifying their commitment. Abagale Berger's relationship with her fiance Noah began anonymously over Zoom for a club interview, before blossoming into an unconventional but deeply meaningful romance.

  • Ha-Ya Davis-Bennett and Spencer legally married in 2022, before she started at WashU.
  • Brooke Sanchez and her fiance began living together at the start of their relationship.
  • Abagale Berger and Noah got engaged in March 2026 during a spring break trip to Charleston.

The players

Ha-Ya Davis-Bennett

A senior at WashU who is married to her husband Spencer, whom she met while working in Louisiana.

Spencer

Ha-Ya Davis-Bennett's husband, who followed her to St. Louis when she started at WashU.

Brooke Sanchez

A junior at WashU who is engaged to her fiance, whom she met in a class.

Brooke Sanchez's fiance

Brooke Sanchez's partner, who proposed to her during a trip to the Canary Islands.

Abagale Berger

A senior at WashU who is engaged to her fiance Noah, whom she first met anonymously over Zoom.

Noah

Abagale Berger's fiance, who is currently studying law at St. Louis University.

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What they’re saying

“I was very adamant about leaving Louisiana and just expanding my horizons, experiencing something new … and during the time that we were dating, he reassured me that this is going to be forever and that he was going to follow me wherever I decided to go.”

— Ha-Ya Davis-Bennett, Senior

“Since we started living together pretty early in the marriage process, the idea of marriage and stuff was something that we always kind of tossed around and played with. We were just kind of making a lot of sacrifices with each other to make sure that we could stay together, and through those sacrifices I think it kind of solidified in our minds that we really wanted to stay together for a long time.”

— Brooke Sanchez, Junior

“Our path was definitely anything but traditional, but I think that's what worked for us. We are not conventional people at all.”

— Abagale Berger, Senior

What’s next

After graduation, Ha-Ya Davis-Bennett and her husband Spencer plan to stay in St. Louis, while Abagale Berger will remain at WashU for law school and marry her fiance Noah in July 2027.

The takeaway

These WashU students' stories demonstrate that college can be a time for building lifelong partnerships, not just exploration and independence. Their experiences highlight the unique dynamics and considerations of being engaged or married as undergraduates, offering a fresh perspective on the traditional college narrative.